The mini reunion of the Marlins’ 2003 championship team before Saturday’s game provided a relatable connection to the mission of the current club.

The 2003 champs rose from a deep deficit in May to secure a wild card entry into the playoffs. Today’s Marlins are trying to do the same.

They continued that climb Saturday in dramatic fashion with a 2-1 walk-off win on Miguel Rojas’ sacrifice fly in the 11th inning at Marlins Park.

That scored Derek Dietrich, who led off with a double to right-center off lefty Jose M. Torres.

“This team is showing some character, and I think it’s nothing about me or about individuals right now, it’s about this team trying to make the playoffs,” Rojas said after his first career walk-off RBI, the Marlins’ fifth of the season.

It was the Marlins’ 12th win in the past 15 games and moved them to two games above .500 for the first time since April 22.

They remained 4½ games back in the wild-card race after Arizona and Colorado both won, but Rojas said the Marlins are determined to step up the pressure on teams ahead of them in the race.

“They’re going to start thinking about us because we’re coming for them. We’re coming for Arizona and Colorado,” he said, noting that the Marlins will visit both cities on their final road trip in September.

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Marlins manage Don Mattingly says he hasn't decided who will bat leadoff. Derek Dietrich is one of several possibilities.

Marlins manage Don Mattingly says he hasn't decided who will bat leadoff. Derek Dietrich is one of several possibilities.

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Marlins manage Don Mattingly says he hasn't decided who will bat leadoff. Derek Dietrich is one of several possibilities.

Marlins manage Don Mattingly says he hasn't decided who will bat leadoff. Derek Dietrich is one of several possibilities.

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Marlins manager Don Mattingly discusses Sandy Alcantara's outing against the Cardinals, when he gave up a home run, double and single to the Cardinals' Yadier Molina.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly discusses Sandy Alcantara's outing against the Cardinals, when he gave up a home run, double and single to the Cardinals' Yadier Molina.

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Marlins manager Don Mattingly says Isan Diaz is a natural hitter with power, but he must avoid trying to pull every ball to have success.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly says Isan Diaz is a natural hitter with power, but he must avoid trying to pull every ball to have success.

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Marlins manager Don Mattingly says Martin Prado's injury setback is frustrating for him and the team, but is confident the veteran third baseman will get past it and become a reliable player again.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly says Martin Prado's injury setback is frustrating for him and the team, but is confident the veteran third baseman will get past it and become a reliable player again.

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Marlins manager Don Mattingly says veteran second baseman Starlin Castro is a good fit in the third spot in the batting order.

Marlins manager Don Mattingly says veteran second baseman Starlin Castro is a good fit in the third spot in the batting order.

Though they struggled for timely hits most of the night (1-for-9 with runners in scoring position), there were some notable efforts along the way.

With several of the 2003 gang reunited to pay homage to new Hall of Fame inductee Pudge Rodriguez, their manager, Jack McKeon recalled how that team clawed back from 10 games below .500 on a steady grind to secure the wild card that season.

“My goal was we want to pick up one [game] a week,” said McKeon, who charted their progress on a calendar in his office.

The 2017 Marlins have followed a similar blueprint in overcoming early-season struggles that saw them fall as much as 13 games below .500.

“We talk about winning series to series,” Marlins manager Don Mattingly said. “At this point you’ve got to get greedy. We’ve won a series, but I don’t think at this point you can be happy. When you have a chance to sweep one you want to try to do it.”

They have now won five consecutive series and will seek that sweep in Sunday’s matinee finale to Players Weekend.

Although Stanton and Ozuna have provided much of the offensive impetus, vital contributions have come from bit players and an array of pitchers in support of a starting rotation bound together with duct tape. Utility man Mike Aviles set up the winning run by sacrificing Dietrich to third ahead of Rojas.

Every playoff push requires contributions from throughout the roster. Miami got a solid effort from Despaigne. The Cuban-born pitcher has been working in the long-relief role since being recalled from the minors at the end of July, but he had made 10 starts in Triple-A. He began his career with the Padres, going 9-16 in 34 starts for San Diego in 2014-15.

Despaigne is known as known as Mili-Pino for Players Weekend, a combo tribute to his wife, Mili, and the nickname his family calls him. He turned in a performance to make them proud.

But his 97-pitch effort was rendered a side note after he departed with the score knotted at 1. Padres starter Lamet also completed six innings, allowing only Ozuna’s homer among four hits.

The Padres literally stole the only run off Despaigne, pulling off a double steal of second and home.

With two strikes on pitcher Lamet, Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto unwisely threw to second with Jabari Blash running. Realmuto’s throw sailed high while Cory Spangenberg ran home uncontested.

Realmuto’s lapse in judgment was underscored when Lamet, a .074 hitter, struck out on the next pitch.

Mattingly deflected the blame, saying, “I’ve got to change that coverage right there. I trusted our guys to be able to do that. It was just the wrong play on my part. We knew they do that.”

He said the proper approach is “just no throw with the pitcher up that can’t hit at all. We had a different coverage on and I should have changed it at two strikes. We know what they do, we talk about it in our meetings that they run that play and how we want to defend it. But there’s no reason to defend it. That was my mistake.”

After Ozuna’s homer countered the steal of home, both teams struggled to generate any offense.

Miami left the bases loaded in the seventh when former Marlin Brad Hand struck out Christian Yelich and got Ozuna to fly out after intentionally walking Stanton.

The Marlins stranded runners on third in two previous innings, including the fifth when Stanton was called out on a questionable third strike on a pitch that registered well inside on FoxTrax. Stanton stated his disagreement, to no avail.

The Marlins benefited from a similar call on Padres pinch-hitter Matt Szczur that helped reliever Brian Ellington work around a leadoff double in the seventh.

Four Marlins relievers held the Padres without a run on three hits over the final five innings.

Ultimately, the Marlins continued their recent trend of finding a way to win.

“Everybody is playing for their teammates, and that’s something that makes me really happy because this is a club that was put together to go to a race to the playoffs, and we’re doing it now after a terrible month of May and after a lot of injuries,” said Rojas, who usually dishes out celebratory cream pies to the face but was on the receiving end this time from a mob of jubilant teammates.